“I pictured the scene. My helplessness despite a decade of training.” REAL TALK 👏🏻

Misfire is book 2 in the Kate Downey Mystery Series but each can be read as a stand alone. In this book, Dr. Kate Downey discovers that a new type of implanted defibrillator with cloud-connectivity begins to misfire in patients, causing the heart rhythm problem it's meant to correct. In this crazy medical mystery, can Dr Downey get to the bottom of this before more lives are lost?

It is pretty evident that the author is a physician as the medical content in this book is so accurate it sometimes felt like I was at work (I am a respiratory therapist) 🤣.

This book is so disturbing, though. Because this could actually happen. We rely on medicine and medial intervention so heavily that we don’t even realize that we could be at the mercy of corruption, as is evident in this story.

“We take people who are breathing fine, mess it up, then fix it, so the surgeon can correct the real problem.” The most fascinatingly accurate description of what anesthesiologists do that I’ve ever heard!

I am dating myself here, but if you enjoyed The Fugitive you will enjoy this book. Thank you to Netgalley, Oceanview Publishing, and the author for the ARC.

This is the second book in the Kate Downey series and you can read them on their own, having read the first book would have made it easier for me to keep the characters straight and It felt like there were a lot of people to keep track of which got confusing at times. Knowing the backstories of everyone and how they came together might have created more of a connection to them or at least a better understanding of why they behaved a certain way. There is a lot of medical jargon and scenarios throughout the book that while above my understanding were easy enough to understand the gist of what was happening. While the premise is something that could absolutely occur in real life, the overall storyline felt a little far fetched. The way the book ended was dramatic and felt different from the rest of the plot. An interesting of a read as Misfire was, I don't see myself going back to read the first book or anticipate reading any other books that come out in this series.
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Instagram review post was published on December 7, 2022 - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl3fwksrts4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I had to go back and reread my notes just to remember what I thought of this book. The basic medical premise was still there, but the rest had kind of disappeared from my mind pretty quickly. What I wrote was that the book was slow. Whenever I would put it down it would take me a long time to get back into it. As I read, I would think it finally got me hooked, only to get bogged down again.

Overall, good premise that needs to editing in execution.

3.8 Stars
One Liner: Slow but entertaining

Kadence is a defibrillator recently approved by FDA. The device misfires, causing heart problems that need immediate correction to save the patient. When the misfires occur in succession, Dr. Kate Downey, an experienced anesthesiologist, suspects foul play. When her Aunt Irm also suffers from the misfire, Kate knows she needs to do something about it.
Christian O'Donnell, Kate’s friend and lawyer, is working with a client who wants to buy Kadence and other new medical aids created by the University team. Kate updates him about the issues, and they decide to investigate the cause with help from detective Garner.
Can Kate get to the bottom of the issue and save the patients fitted with Kadence? What does she have to do to protect the patients from being killed by a life-saving device?
The story comes from Kate’s POV.

My Thoughts:
The book is presented as a standalone though it has characters from the previous novel Fatal Intent. While it does work on its own to an extent, the subplot will be more effective if you read book one, especially since it has a significant space in this one.
I read Fatal Intent more than a year ago (and forgot most of it). However, I could get into the plot once I remembered the basics. Aunt Irm continues to be my favorite for a valid reason. She is quirky, loving, smart, and gets straight to the point.
The book is slow; understandable as it has medical jargon and details the reader needs to understand. There are quite a few threads too. This can be overwhelming if the reader wants only a medical thriller and ends up with a blend of family intrigue, romance, murders, kidnapping, and tech crimes.
There are enough twists and turns to keep us guessing (though I figured it out soon enough). Kate, as usual, takes risks she shouldn’t be taking but survives. The side characters like Nathan and Garner support the plot.
The scenes in the hospital are my favorite. The author’s experience in the field shows as she presents a realistic picture of the constant stress faced by medical personnel. The book also shows how women in the medical profession are still looked down upon despite their obvious talent.
The personal track between Kate and Christian was steady enough (and I think I like it better in this one). They make a good team, with Aunt Irm, of course, so I do look forward to more adventures and cases for them to solve.

To summarize, Misfire is the sequel to Fatal Intent and is best read that way. Enjoy this medical suspense with a touch of romance, a dash of pain, and a not-so-fictional medical aid. The author’s note at the end was enlightening (and a bit scary).
Thank you, NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

MISFIRE by Tammy Euliano was not what I expected: a medical thriller questioning the reliance on exciting innovations in medical technology to save lives. The premise was decent enough: a device is faulty and numerous people have untoward events with it. Subplots of a malevolent family member, estate issues, and grieving a dead husband failed to develop in a satisfying and integrated way. Throughout, I did not connect with a single character nor with the writing style, pretty much nothing. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

3.5 raised to 4 stars

Though I don’t often read a synopsis, I did before starting MISFIRE. For that reason, the first of the book came as no surprise. People with a new type of implanted defibrillator were having serious complications. The implant was misfiring in patients. Anesthesiologist Dr. Downey witnessed this firsthand.

So the mystery is not what is happening to certain patients. We already know.

Dr. Downey is concerned for everyone with this implant. But her drive to find answers is raised to a higher level because her great aunt recently received this same implant.

My Concerns
--Though this is listed as a standalone book, there were lots of references to the first book. I think reading the first one might have been beneficial.
--The first third of the book is spent supporting what we know: the new defibrillator is misfiring.
--It would have been nice if the first of the book would have had that same page-turning intensity as the last.
--I wish the character development would have been stronger.

What Worked
--The hospital setting and activities were interesting and felt authentic.
--The writing and build-up toward the last flowed beautifully.
--Scary but interesting subject matter.

Final Thoughts
If you like medical mysteries written by an author who is very familiar with the subject, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Tammy Euliano’s new books. Her first novel is Fatal Intent, and I’d suggest that you start with that, though Misfire is listed as a standalone book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ability to read this early copy of the book and to post my review without any stipulations.

This was a good but frightening book. I didn’t realize there was another book previous in this series so I read it as a stand-alone. I understood everything fine and didn’t feel like I missed out on anything vital, however I will be reading the first one just because I enjoyed this one so much.

One thing about me.. I LOVE medical thrillers! I feel like there aren’t enough good ones out there and this is a good one.

MISFIRE is the second book in a series but can be read as a stand-alone. I haven’t read the first book and I must say that while yes, it can be read as a stand-alone, I felt like I missed a lot of pertinent backstory by not reading the first book. It wasn’t confusing or anything but I felt like a lot of character development/relationships happened in the first book that would have made me like this story better if I had read the first book beforehand. There were so many references to the first book that as a reader, I would not recommend reading this as a stand-alone.

MISFIRE is verryyyyyy complex and definitely is a book that requires attention to detail throughout the story. I did enjoy this aspect, just know this is not a popcorn thriller whatsoever. There are A LOT of moving parts and a lot of characters to keep track of (not impossible but also would have been easier if I read the first book first)

For me, this was not a downside, but a beware to readers that this book uses very complex medical and business language. The medical language didn’t bother me because I am well versed, but the business language definitely went over my head. If you’re okay with reading big words and letting them go over your head, I would still recommend this! If you’re someone who will be bothered by the fact that you don’t know where the fossa on a bone is, this may impact your enjoyment of the book.

Overall, the plot/story is good and I would absolutely tell someone looking for a medical thriller to read this…. After you read the first book 😉

I stopped reading and did not finish this book. I stopped reading at 28%. At this point in the book, there had been 4 incidences of CPR. One code was unable to revive the patient, one code left the patient non-responsive in the ICU, and the other 2 codes the patients work up automatically and had no issues whatsoever. This is an inaccurate portrayal of codes/CPR. Only about 12% of people who receive CPR survive. If a patient is revived from CPR, they will be in pain, as CPR causes fracture of the ribs. The author went to trouble of researching and providing accuracy with AICD devices, I would have hoped to have same accuracy with CPR.

Honestly never knew of or read the first book
This book had references to it but not enough to intrigue me to want to read it.
Medical misfires I'm sure fo happen but not as far fetched as the book went. A lot going on. Didn't really find myself liking any of the characters. So picking it up was challenging.
Overall was just ok in my opinion

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book

This book was pretty terrifying from a medical standpoint. You're trundling along expecting your pacer/defibrillator to protect you from dying and BAM! someone hacked it and causes you a fatal rhythm and your device fails to save you. While the author claims this is not something that has actually happened, it was considered for a time when Dick Cheney was VP because of hacking capability. Creepy.

Coming from a medical background myself the book made a lot of (scary) sense but it is quite jargon heavy and I wonder if the general population would enjoy such a book. However, the ending twist was superb and something I never saw coming (and I read a LOT of books so my guessing meter is very good)..

I actually went searching for the first book in the series and found I had already purchased it. I am now motivated to read that and any new books in the series. An excellent medical thriller.

A medical thriller to makes you realize that technology is much more far-reaching than it seems! I work in the medical field, so this book immediately drew me in and had me hooked. The story follows Kate Downey as she investigates misfires of an AICD called the Kadence device, which contains all new technology. The investigation becomes more personal when her own great Aunt Irm gets involved, who happens to have the Kadence implanted in her own chest. This book is the second of the Kate Downey Mystery Series but can be read as a stand-alone like I did. There was some reference to what happened in the first, but the story was easy to follow without reading the first. It does make me want to go back and read number one though! Overall, this was a great read and is perfect for someone wanting a medical thriller with twists and turns and revenge all wrapped in one.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Oceanview Publishing, and Tammy Euliano for providing me with this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was outstanding! Compelling main characters, lots of action and a chilling plot make this a read that you won't want to miss. Very well done!

Misfire is the second book in the series but stand alone. This medical thriller is about a new medical product for cardiac conditions but suddenly starts to misfire. The book started out very interesting but I lost heart with unbelievable situations and traumas and it never really gripped me as I had hoped. Thanks to Net Galley for and ARC.

After a series of misfires from the Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defribulators (AICDs) in several patients, Dr. Kate Downey becomes suspicious of the event frequency and begins to investigate the source of the occurrences. Especially since her Aunt Irm has the same device implanted to monitor and treat her heart rate.

As Kate digs deeper into the source of the misfires, she becomes increasingly aware that the misfires are actually purposeful attacks through software programming. Who or what could be causing the attacks and for what purpose?

Misfire is the author’s second book in a series. Though the book’s description indicates that each book can be read as a standalone, I didn’t find that to be the case. Instead, I felt I was missing some background on the characters and the prior events that were referred to repeatedly.

I didn’t like any of the characters for some reason. Perhaps it’s because I thought they were all “busy bodies.” I didn’t quite get a sense that they were fully developed enough. To me, they were shallow and one dimensional. It could be that the characters were developed and fleshed out in the first novel, so to repeat that would be redundant.

The story seemed a bit disjointed. There were just too many things and events going on which made for a sometimes confusing read. Add the far fetched motive of the perpetrator and it was somewhat of a hot mess.

For some reason, the author’s writing style didn’t appeal to me. It felt “jumpy,” and didn’t have those smooth transitions from one event to the other. Well, maybe there were too many events to accomplish that.

While I do enjoy medical mysteries (Coma, Bloodstream, Harvest, etc.) Misfire just didn’t hit the right notes for me. Two okay stars.

I received a digital ARC from Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Misfire by Tammy Euliano is book #2 in the Kate Downey Mystery Series, but the first I have read & can easily be read as a standalone. Misfire is at the top of the list in terms of mysteries I’ve read this year with its’ meticulously intertwined thrilling storylines with a dash of romance to keep you on your toes. It is definitely one of the most inventive plot lines that’s made even more intriguing with its’ realistic nature.

Dr. Kate Downey is a brilliant anesthesiologist & recent widower working in the ER when there’s another bout of trouble on her doorstep: Dr. Downey is forced to resuscitate a patient with the same implanted medical device as her beloved Great-Aunt Irm. With the help of her friend & cardiologist, Dr. Nikki Yarborough, they are able to protect her Great-Aunt, but unfortunately her hands are tied at going public with the issue. Thanks to office politics, boss’s ties to manufacturers & corporate greed, the misfires are being swept under the rug as a software bug soon to be fixed. But what happens when the misfires don’t stop & even more lives become at risk?!

This book illicited strong emotions from me as I was reading, which to me showcases what excellent writing it has. I experienced everything from feeling heart-wrenching to laughing & all the way to fear, surprise & even a little swoon.
I am chronically ill & have spent an exorbitant amount of time in hospitals & acquired some medical knowledge along the way. I say all this to say that I was thoroughly impressed with the accuracy of the medical aspects as well as the way it was interwoven into such a fascinating mystery while still being easy to ingest.

I was thoroughly impressed with the author’s ability to pack so much story into one entertaining read. This is a very intelligent & dark mystery that’s full of twists & turns that will shock you to keep turning the pages. I would recommend checking trigger warnings thanks to the heavy nature of some topics.

If anyone is looking for a very interesting & inventive medical mystery, then I would highly recommend Misfire by Tammy Euliana.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Oceanview Publishing for the arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains death, medical emergency, murder, car accidents, emergency Caesarian, violence, kidnapping, suicide & murder of baby.

I enjoyed the first in this medical thriller series and this one started out with a very interesting premise: heart patients who had devices implanted to monitor and kick start their cardiac functions find themselves in peril when the devices sometimes fire off for no reason.

I think without reading the first book Fatal Intent, a reader would struggle to figure out the background.

The medical narrative and investigative trail were quite interesting. However, for me, the book derailed by burdening every character with unbelievable personal trauma. Suicides, murders, incredible family dysfunction, revenge, etc. etc. etc.

The resolution of the mystery was over the top overwhelmingly implausible. I understand the desire to have an exciting ending, but I wish the author would dial it back just a bit. The basic heart patient/malfunctioning device plot was great and I think the addition of all the angst and melodrama just detracted from that.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 Stars ~

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read Misfire, in return for an honest review.

I started Misfire very optimistic, as I haven't read a lot of medical mystery/thrillers, and being a nurse myself makes this sub-genre very intriguing. But I was so bored for most of it.

I found there was so much talk about some back story, about some serial killer, killing off patients/helping them die. I wanted to read more about that, and not about the misfires of a pacemaker. I realised Tammy Euliano had written a previous novel about the above, and I should have read that first. Although this book seemed to have so many spoilers from the previous book, there is no point now.

I also had no fondness for miss Aunt Irm, who seems to be the only real connection that the protagonist had to be involved in this story whatsoever. But all in all, it did shock me with the ending. A little brutal in my opinion, which I enjoy.

But there needs to be some serious editing. The beginning of each chapter was missing a few words, so just had to go with your imagination on that. and there were many spelling and grammatical errors throughout. I also felt some of the dialogue was forceful and unnatural.

All in all, would I recommend it? probably not. Do I wish I hadn't read it? no, it was okay.

This is my first book from the author and I cannot wait to read more. I was sucked into this story from the first pages. The author does an incredible job of creating a balance of not making the medical portions too complicated to understand and making it so interesting to read. I found this whole story both fascinating and terrifying. I loved the characters, especially Aunt Irm. I loved her sass and she reminded me so much of my own family member. The investigation was perfect - doling out details and keeping you guessing. I loved just the little hint of the love story and they way this was able to lighten the heaviness of this story. This had everything that I wanted in a medical thriller and I will be recommending these books to everyone!!

You should feel safe with your newly fitted defibrillator but when it misfires you must worry why? Dr Kate Downey is worried and even more so when it effects her Great Aunt Irm.

Fast paced novel with good characters who must find out what is going on. Lives are threatened and many lost. Let’s hope they can resolve things. Enjoy for yourself.